OpenAI acquires health-care technology startup Torch

OpenAI has acquired the health-care technology startup Torch, the company announced on Monday.

Torch was building a “unified medical memory” for artificial intelligence that aimed to bring a patient’s health data, which is typically siloed and stored across a number of different vendors and formats, into one place.

Torch’s employees will join OpenAI as part of the deal, the companies said. OpenAI and Torch did not disclose the terms of the acquisition.

“I can’t imagine a better next chapter than to now get to put our technology and ideas in the hands of the hundreds of millions of people who already use ChatGPT for health questions every week,” Torch CEO Ilya Abyzov wrote in a post on X.

Abyzov previously co-founded another health-care startup called Forward, which was a direct-to-consumer primary care business that carried out patient visits via tech-enabled “CarePods.” Forward abruptly shuttered operations in 2024.

OpenAI’s acquisition of Torch comes just days after it unveiled ChatGPT Health, a new experience that allows users connect their medical records and wellness apps to the AI chatbot.

The company also announced several enterprise-grade products for health-care organizations. Some of its initial partners include large health systems like HCA Healthcare.

In December, OpenAI hired Google’s Albert Lee to lead corporate development, a signal that the company will continue to hunt for M&A targets that can help it gain an edge over rivals like Google and Anthropic.

The company made several acquisitions in 2025, including Jony Ive’s AI devices startup io for more than $6 billion in May.

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